Soft, plated, and polished metals — stainless will scratch a lead battery post, a plated fastener, or polished trim that the brass mini would have cleaned without a mark; that is brass's job, not this one.
Anodized aluminum, glass, and cured finishes — any surface that must not be scratched or must see no metal at all — belong to the nylon mini.
Spark-controlled environments (fuel, solvent vapor) rule out steel entirely; use brass or nylon.
And the cardinal misuse: do not use it on mild steel and then return it to stainless work — that single crossover embeds carbon-steel iron and voids the contamination control this brush is bought for.
Steel wire works on its filament ends; leaning folds and sets the fill and stops it cutting. Dedicate it and mark it. A stainless mini that has touched mild steel is, for contamination purposes, a carbon brush forever — keep it separate and labeled, exactly as fabricators do with full-size stainless brushes. Match the metal, downward only. Stainless is right on hard deposits and durable metal; on soft, plated, or polished surfaces it will score, so drop to brass there. Wet is fine — stainless is the no-rust wet-work fill. Never spark-controlled work — stainless can throw a spark; that's brass or nylon.
Asked at the counter
BUYER QUESTIONS ANSWERED BEFORE THE CART, NOT AFTER THE RETURN
Isn't stainless just "won't rust"?
That's the small half. The real reason it's a distinct brush is contamination control — it won't embed carbon-steel iron in the stainless or aluminum it cleans. Keep it dedicated to earn that.
What grade of stainless is the wire?
Unpublished — so no grade is claimed here . Don't assume 304 or 316.
Can I use it on my battery terminal or plated hardware?
Prefer the brass mini (46605) there — stainless is hard enough to score soft and plated metal, and it can spark near a battery.
It cuts harder than the brass one — should I just use stainless for everything?
No. Its hardness is a liability on soft, plated, and spark-controlled work. Match the brush to the metal.
How many come in the pack?
This listing is the single; the count is presumed and not yet confirmed . A confirmed stainless three-pack exists elsewhere in the family (46650).
